Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
AUGUST
23
PSALMS:
23, 53, 83, 113, 143
PROVERBS:
23
OLD
TESTAMENT:
EZEKIEL 24:1 - 26:21
NEW
TESTAMENT:
HEBREWS 11:1 - 16
PSALMS:
24
Of
David. A psalm.
1
The
earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the
world, and all who live in it;
2
for
he founded it upon the seas
and
established it upon the waters.
3
Who
may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who
may stand in his holy place?
4
He
who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who
does not lift up his soul to an idol
or
swear by what is false. A
5
He
will receive blessing from the LORD
and
vindication from God his Savior.
6
Such
is the generation of those who seek him,
who
seek your face, O God of Jacob. B
Selah
7
Lift
up your heads, O you gates;
be
lifted up, you ancient doors,
that
the King of glory may come in.
8
Who
is this King of glory?
The
LORD strong and mighty,
the
LORD mighty in battle.
9
Lift
up your heads, O you gates;
lift
them up, you ancient doors,
that
the King of glory may come in.
10
Who
is he, this King of glory?
The
LORD Almighty--
he
is the King of glory. 1
PSALMS:
54
For
the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil
A
of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, "Is not
David hiding among us?"
1
Save
me, O God, by your name;
vindicate
me by your might.
2
Hear
my prayer, O God;
listen
to the words of my mouth.
3
Strangers
are attacking me;
ruthless
men seek my life--
men
without regard for God.
Selah
4
Surely
God is my help;
the
Lord is the one who sustains me.
5
Let
evil recoil on those who slander me;
in
your faithfulness destroy them.
6
I
will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I
will praise your name, O LORD,
for
it is good.
7
For
he has delivered me from all my troubles,
and
my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes. 3
PSALMS:
84
For
the director of music. According to gittith.
A
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1
How
lovely is your dwelling place,
O
LORD Almighty!
2
My
soul yearns, even faints,
for
the courts of the LORD;
my
heart and my flesh cry out
for
the living God.
3
Even
the sparrow has found a home,
and
the swallow a nest for herself,
where
she may have her young--
a
place near your altar,
O
LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4
Blessed
are those who dwell in your house;
they
are ever praising you.
Selah
5
Blessed
are those whose strength is in you,
who
have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6
As
they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they
make it a place of springs;
the
autumn rains also cover it with pools. B
7
They
go from strength to strength,
till
each appears before God in Zion.
8
Hear
my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen
to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah
9
Look
upon our shield, C
O God;
look
with favor on your anointed one. 4
10
Better
is one day in your courts
than
a thousand elsewhere;
I
would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than
dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11
For
the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the
LORD bestows favor and honor;
no
good thing does he withhold
from
those whose walk is blameless.
12
O
LORD Almighty,
blessed
is the man who trusts in you. 5
PSALMS:
114
1
When
Israel came out of Egypt,
the
house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
2
Judah
became God's sanctuary,
Israel
his dominion.
3
The
sea looked and fled,
the
Jordan turned back;
4
the
mountains skipped like rams,
the
hills like lambs.
5
Why
was it, O sea, that you fled,
O
Jordan, that you turned back,
6
you
mountains, that you skipped like rams,
you
hills, like lambs?
7
Tremble,
O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at
the presence of the God of Jacob,
8
who
turned the rock into a pool,
the
hard rock into springs of water. 6
PSALMS:
144
Of
David.
1
Praise
be to the LORD my Rock,
who
trains my hands for war,
my
fingers for battle.
2
He
is my loving God and my fortress,
my
stronghold and my deliverer,
my
shield, in whom I take refuge,
who
subdues peoples A
under me.
3
O
LORD, what is man that you care for him,
the
son of man that you think of him?
4
Man
is like a breath;
his
days are like a fleeting shadow.
5
Part
your heavens, O LORD, and come down;
touch
the mountains, so that they smoke.
6
Send
forth lightning and scatter the enemies;
shoot
your arrows and rout them.
7
Reach
down your hand from on high;
deliver
me and rescue me
from
the mighty waters,
from
the hands of foreigners
8
whose
mouths are full of lies,
whose
right hands are deceitful.
9
I
will sing a new song to you, O God;
on
the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
10
to
the One who gives victory to kings,
who
delivers his servant David from the deadly sword. 7
11
Deliver
me and rescue me
from
the hands of foreigners
whose
mouths are full of lies,
whose
right hands are deceitful.
12
Then
our sons in their youth
will
be like well-nurtured plants,
and
our daughters will be like pillars
carved
to adorn a palace.
13
Our
barns will be filled
with
every kind of provision.
Our
sheep will increase by thousands,
by
tens of thousands in our fields;
14
our
oxen will draw heavy loads. B
There
will be no breaching of walls,
no
going into captivity,
no
cry of distress in our streets.
15
Blessed
are the people of whom this is true;
blessed
are the people whose God is the LORD. 8
PROVERBS:
24
24
1
Do not envy wicked men,
do
not desire their company;
2
for
their hearts plot violence,
and
their lips talk about making trouble.
3
By
wisdom a house is built,
and
through understanding it is established;
4
through
knowledge its rooms are filled
with
rare and beautiful treasures.
5
A
wise man has great power,
and
a man of knowledge increases strength;
6
for
waging war you need guidance,
and
for victory many advisers.
7
Wisdom
is too high for a fool;
in
the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
8
He
who plots evil
will
be known as a schemer.
9
The
schemes of folly are sin,
and
men detest a mocker.
10
If
you falter in times of trouble,
how
small is your strength!
11
Rescue
those being led away to death;
hold
back those staggering toward slaughter.
12
If
you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"
does
not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does
not he who guards your life know it?
Will
he not repay each person according to what he has done? 9
13
Eat
honey, my son, for it is good;
honey
from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14
Know
also that wisdom is sweet to your soul;
if
you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and
your hope will not be cut off.
15
Do
not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house,
do
not raid his dwelling place;
16
for
though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but
the wicked are brought down by calamity.
17
Do
not gloat when your enemy falls;
when
he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
18
or
the LORD will see and disapprove
and
turn his wrath away from him.
19
Do
not fret because of evil men
or
be envious of the wicked,
20
for
the evil man has no future hope,
and
the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21
Fear
the LORD and the king, my son,
and
do not join with the rebellious,
22
for
those two will send sudden destruction upon them,
and
who knows what calamities they can bring?
23
These
also are sayings of the wise:
To
show partiality in judging is not good:
24
Whoever
says to the guilty, "You are innocent"--
peoples
will curse him and nations denounce him.
25
But
it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and
rich blessing will come upon them. 10
26
An
honest answer
is
like a kiss on the lips.
27
Finish
your outdoor work
and
get your fields ready;
after
that, build your house.
28
Do
not testify against your neighbor without cause,
or
use your lips to deceive.
29
Do
not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me;
I'll
pay that man back for what he did."
30
I
went past the field of the sluggard,
past
the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
31
thorns
had come up everywhere,
the
ground was covered with weeds,
and
the stone wall was in ruins.
32
I
applied my heart to what I observed
and
learned a lesson from what I saw:
33
A
little sleep, a little slumber,
a
little folding of the hands to rest--
34
and
poverty will come on you like a bandit
OLD
TESTAMENT:
EZEKIEL 24:1 - 26:21
24
1
In
the ninth year, in the tenth month on the tenth day, the word of the
LORD came to me: 2
"Son
of man, record this date, this very date, because the king of Babylon
has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
3
Tell
this rebellious house a parable and say to them:
`This
is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"`Put
on the cooking pot; put it on
and
pour water into it.
4
Put
into it the pieces of meat,
all
the choice pieces--the leg and the shoulder.
Fill
it with the best of these bones;
5
take
the pick of the flock.
Pile
wood beneath it for the bones;
bring
it to a boil
and
cook the bones in it.
6
"`For
this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"`Woe
to the city of bloodshed,
to
the pot now encrusted,
whose
deposit will not go away!
Empty
it piece by piece
without
casting lots for them.
7
"`For
the blood she shed is in her midst:
She
poured it on the bare rock;
she
did not pour it on the ground,
where
the dust would cover it.
8
To
stir up wrath and take revenge
I
put her blood on the bare rock,
so
that it would not be covered.
"`Woe
to the city of bloodshed!
I,
too, will pile the wood high.
10
So
heap on the wood
and
kindle the fire.
Cook
the meat well,
mixing
in the spices;
and
let the bones be charred.
11
Then
set the empty pot on the coals
till
it becomes hot and its copper glows
so
its impurities may be melted
and
its deposit burned away.
12
It
has frustrated all efforts;
its
heavy deposit has not been removed,
not
even by fire.
13
"`Now
your impurity is lewdness.
Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from
your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you
has subsided.
14
"`I
the LORD have spoken.
The
time has come for me to act.
I
will not hold back;
I
will not have pity, nor will I relent.
You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions,
declares the Sovereign LORD.'"
15
The
word of the LORD came to me:
16
"Son
of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of
your eyes.
Yet
do not lament or weep or shed any tears.
17
Groan
quietly;
do not mourn for the dead.
Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet;
do
not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of
mourners."
18
So
I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife
died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
19
Then
the people asked me, "Won't you tell us what these things have
to do with us?"
20
So
I said to them, "The
word of the LORD came to me:
21
Say
to the house of Israel, `This
is what the Sovereign LORD says:
I am about to 13
desecrate my sanctuary--the stronghold in which you take pride, the
delight of your eyes, the object of your affection.
The
sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.
22
And
you will do as I have done.
You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary
food of mourners.
23
You
will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet.
You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of A
your sins and groan among yourselves.
24
Ezekiel
will be a sign to you;
you will do just as he has done.
When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.'
25
"And
you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy
and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their
sons and daughters as well—
26
on
that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news.
27
At
that time your mouth will be opened;
you will speak with him and will no longer be silent.
So
you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD."
25
1
The
word of the LORD came to me: 2
"Son
of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against
them.
3
Say
to them,
`Hear
the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
Because you said "Aha!"
over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel
when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went
into exile,
4
therefore
I am going to give you to the people of the East as a possession.
They
will set up their camps and pitch their tents among you; they will
eat your fruit and drink your milk.
5
I
will turn Rabbah into a pasture for camels and Ammon into a resting
place for sheep.
Then you will know that I am the LORD.
6
For
this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
Because
you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all
the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,
7
therefore
I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the
nations.
I
will cut you off from the nations and exterminate you from the
countries.
I
will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.'"
8
"This
is what the Sovereign LORD says: `Because
Moab and Seir said,
"Look,
the house of Judah has become like all the other nations,"
9
therefore
I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier
towns--Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon and Kiriathaim--the glory of that
land.
10
I
will give Moab along with the Ammonites to the people of the East as
a possession, so that the Ammonites will not be remembered among the
nations;
11
and
I will inflict punishment on Moab.
Then
they will know that I am the LORD.'"
12
"This
is what the Sovereign LORD says: `Because
Edom took revenge on the house of Judah and became very guilty by
doing so,
13
therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill its men and their
animals.
I will lay it waste,
14
and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword.
14
I
will take vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel, and they
will deal with Edom in accordance with my anger and my wrath;
they will know my vengeance, declares the Sovereign LORD.'
"
15
"This
is what the Sovereign LORD says:
`Because
the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in
their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah,
16
therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will
cut off the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast.
17
I
will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath.
Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I take vengeance on
them.'"
26
1
In
the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the
LORD came to me: 2
"Son
of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem,
`Aha!
The gate to the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to
me;
now that she lies in ruins I will prosper,'
3
therefore
this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you,
like the sea casting up its waves.
4
They
will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers;
I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock.
5
Out
in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have
spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.
She
will become plunder for the nations,
6
and
her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword.
Then
they will know that I am the LORD.
7
"For
this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar A
king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with
horsemen and a great army.
8
He
will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will
set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and
raise his shields against you.
9
He
will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and
demolish your towers with his weapons.
10
His
horses will be so many that they will cover you with dust.
Your
walls will tremble at the noise of the war horses, wagons and
chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city whose walls
have been broken through.
11
The
hoofs of his horses will trample all your streets;
he
will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will
fall to the ground.
12
They
will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise;
they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and
throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.
13
I
will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music of your harps will
be heard no more.
14
I
will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread
fishnets.
You
will never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, declares the
Sovereign LORD.
15
15
"This
is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre:
Will
not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the
wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you?
16
Then
all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and
lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments.
Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every
moment, appalled at you.
17
Then
they will take up a lament concerning you and say to you:
"`How
you are destroyed, O city of renown,
peopled
by men of the sea!
You
were a power on the seas,
you
and your citizens;
you
put your terror
on
all who lived there.
18
Now
the coastlands tremble
on
the day of your fall;
the
islands in the sea
are
terrified at your collapse.'
19
"This
is what the Sovereign LORD says:
When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and
when I bring the ocean depths over you and its vast waters cover you,
20
then
I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the
people of long ago.
I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with
those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your
place B
in the land of the living.
21
I
will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more.
You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the
Sovereign LORD."
16
NEW
TESTAMENT: HEBREWS 11:1 - 16
11
1
Now
faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not
see.
2
This
is what the ancients were commended for.
3
By
faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so
that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4
By
faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he
was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his
offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
5
By
faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience
death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For
before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6
And
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those
who earnestly seek him.
7
By
faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built
an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and
became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8
By
faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as
his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where
he was going. 9
By
faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a
foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were
heirs with him of the same promise.
10
For
he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect
and builder is God.
11
By
faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was
barren--was enabled to become a father because he A
considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12
And
so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the
seashore.
13
All
these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not
receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them
from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and
strangers on earth. 14
People
who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their
own. 15
If
they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have
had opportunity to return. 16
Instead,
they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God
is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for
them. 17
1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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13
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14
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15
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16
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17
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John 3:16-21 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, F that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.G 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." H
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